Part 39 (1/2)

CHAPTER XXVI

WHAT THE BIG BARN CONTAINED

”There's your chance,” whispered Wallop to the cadets. ”Quick, now; or he may leap away before you can say Jack Robinson.”

”Go ahead, Gif,” said Jack quickly, for he felt that their host should have the first chance to shoot.

There was no time to argue the matter, and, raising his gun, Gif took hasty aim and fired. His aim was not of the best, for only a few of the scattering shot pierced the fox's side. The animal wheeled around in evident astonishment, and for a second did not know which way to escape.

”Fire at him! Fire at him!” called out Jed Wallop quickly. ”Fire, or he'll git away.”

This time all of the others blazed away, one after another. Several of the charges went wild, but Randy managed to catch the fox directly in the shoulder, and he leaped high in the air, and then came down, floundering around and kicking the loose snow in all directions.

”Hurrah! We've got him!” cried Randy.

”Mebbe you have and mebbe you haven't,” answered Jed Wallop. ”Better run in and finish him.”

Gif was the first to do this, and a final charge caused the fox to cease his struggles.

”A purty good-sized animal,” remarked the old hunter, when they were inspecting it. ”That skin is worth some money.”

The old hunter said he would carry the dead fox for them, and again they went forward. They spent the best part of the afternoon looking for more foxes, but in this they were disappointed. However, deep in the woods they came upon a covey of partridges. All banged away at a lively rate, and had the satisfaction of killing three of the birds.

”A pretty good haul, after all,” remarked Fred, with satisfaction.

”Don't you think it about time that we returned to that old Parkingham house?” questioned Jack, after the game had been placed in their bags.

”We might as well work around that way,” answered Gif. ”Remember, we'll have quite a tramp after that getting back to the Lodge.”

They turned in the direction of the old house in the woods and on their way kept their eyes open for more game. But all they sighted were two small squirrels, and these they thought not worth shooting at.

They were just about to cross the mountain road not far from the old house when they heard a pair of horses. .h.i.tched to a long boxsled approaching. The sled was piled high with several boxes and three bales of hay.

”Get back!” cried Jack quickly. ”That may be one of those Germans coming, and I don't think it would be wise to let him see us.”

They stepped behind some trees and brushwood, and soon the boxsled came closer. Then another surprise awaited them, for the driver of the sled, who was alone, was none other than the farmer they had rescued from the burning railroad car.

”It's that fellow Crouse,” whispered Gif. ”What do you know about that?”

”Shall we go out and speak to him?” questioned Andy.

”I don't see that it would do any harm,” said Jack. ”We have a perfect right to be out hunting in this neighborhood.”

Accordingly they stepped out in the roadway almost directly in front of the on-coming boxsled. The driver, who was crouched down with the big collar of his overcoat turned up around his ears, had evidently been in deep thought, for when he noticed them he straightened up in surprise and brought his team to a sudden halt.

”Why, if it isn't our friend from the railroad train!” remarked Jack, with a smile.

”Well, I never!” declared Herman Crouse, with a momentary look of pleasure on his face. ”How did you young gentlemen get up here?” And then, of a sudden, a cloud came over his features.

”Can't you see we're out hunting?” answered Fred, pointing to the guns and game in their bags.